go salsa dancing, ashleigh. >> i was thinking about anchoring news while kayaking. do you think it can be done? >> sure. anything can be done while anchoring the newscast, don't you think? >> i will if you will. all right. alison, it's good to see you, my friend. great advice. do appreciate it. thanks for watch oig newsroom." i'm going to be back here an hour from now. thought i would do double duty tonight -- today. tonight. it's already showing. newsroom international starts right now with my friend michael holmes. >> ashleigh, thanks for that. welcome to "newsroom international." i'm michael holmes filling in for suzanne malveaux who is on assignment in south africa. you'll hear about that later. we are, as always, going to take you around the world in 60 minutes, and here's what's going on. >> more explosions rock syria amid new accusations from the international community. this time the syrian air force said to be dropping deadly cluster bombs in the populated areas. human rights watch has released

video of the russian-made bombs. the group says those bombs, well, they're particularly dangerous, vicious really, because they explode in the air just above the ground and release dozen of smaller bombs or bomblets that can kill or maim long after impact. russia says no evidence that that report is accurate. after more than 40 years of fighting, the filipino government has signed a landmark peace deal with muslim revel leaders. this is a big deal in that part of the world. the deal promises to set up an autonomous region in the south giving muslims there greater political powers and more control over natural resources. the philippines, of course, are a predominantly catholic country. the two sides are going to return to the negotiating table to hash out details, including decommissioning the rebels' 11,000 member army. that conflict has cost 100,000 lives. well, there is a huge vote on the horizon in scotland. the british prime minister david

cameron and scottish first agreed today to hold a referendum on scottish independence. it will happen a couple of years out. 2014. recent polls show 30% or 40% of scotts favor independence. fewer in the younger generations, though. in fact, we've got this video just in to us here. malala was flown from a military hospital in pakistan and taken to the queen elizabeth hospital in birmingham, england, for more treatment. her parents are with her. they were with her on that eight-hour flight. meanwhile, support for the teenager is intensifying at home and around the world.

a rally in car afternoony drew tens of thousands outraged that she was targeted by the taliban because she dared speak out in favor of girls going to school. i know you have been on top of this story. how is she doing? you spoke to an army officer who told you exactly what the injury was like. do we know if there's going to be permanent damage, or is it too soon? >> no one has used the term brain damage. doctors say she's still in critical condition. for the next several days they're going to do a full and thorough assessment at the hospital in birmingham, in england, and i think what they're going to be looking at is where the bullets penetrated. she's already passed two important hurdles.

one is the doctors have removed the bullet, and, two, she's passed the first 48 hours, that critical stretch after surgery. she's probably going to have newerlogical damage. a lot of people -- not just here in pakistan, all over the world, hoping she's going to make it. >> yeah. as you have been reporting too, and we saw there a moment ago pakistan is clearly outraged over the attack. i'm wondering if you have had a sense there dush live there -- that the government might, i don't know, take advantage of the public anger, the sentiment to move on the taliban. >> you are hearing that talk a lot, but this could be a potential turning point in the government's fight against extremism. frankly, during my stay here, i have never seen this kind of widespread intense outrage aimed at the taliban, but at the same time many are concerned that this outrage is potential turning point could fade away. the key is what is the government going to do, what kind of practical steps is it

going to take to fight militant si here. it's more than increase and improving counter insurgency, counterterrorism. they have to do other things. they have to build schools. they have to give electricity 24 hours a day to people here. something that other people don't have. the basic rights of human beings here that have yet to get it from this government. can this government do it? they so this as an opportunity. >> always thanks for your report. hillary clinton focussing on women's issues today on a trip to lima, peru. she is sdejed there to meet with the peruvian president. that will happen tonight. tomorrow she'll attend an international conference about empowering women. it's part of peru's first social inclusion week. 22 days out from the election, and travel overseas could become an issue again in tomorrow's presidential debate between president obama and mitt romney.

the assault on the u.s. consulate in benghazi, libya, the one that left four americans dead, including the u.s. ambassador, provided much fodder for political attacks recently, especially during the sunday talk shows. >> there was no way that you could believe ten days after the attack it was based on a riot that occurred. there was no riot at all. to say that you are either very incompetent or -- >> we don't need wing-tipped cowboys. we don't need shoot from the hip diplomacy, and when mitt romney first responded to what was going on in libya, his own party called him out for insensitivity. >> he was responding to egypt. >> no, no, no. let me be clear. he was responding to libya, and he has done nothing but politicize this issue when what we need to do is find out what happened and do that as americans, not as democrats and republicans. >> and cnn political director mark preston joining us now from the debate site at hofstra university. mark, this, of course, is the town hall format.

different than the previous. how much do you think it will be about foreign policy? it's going to be coming from people in the audience. do you think they're going to go with foreign policy or domestic issues, or mix it up? >> it's very much a wild card. like the presidential debate last week, the presidential debate two weeks ago, questions are coming from the audience, and they're going to be on committed voters that live here in the new york area that were picked by the gallop organization for the commissioner and presidential debates. you would be surprised if foreign policy doesn't come out given what has happened in bengauze fwriy, and the fall-out what did the administration know and what did president obama know, what did joe biden know about that attack and also the calls for extra security by some of the folks, including i understand the ambassador we think had asked for that as well. he expect that will be on the table, but the number one issue, though, michael, will be the

economy here at this debate tomorrow night. >> you know, both men no public appearanced today. not surprising. they're doing a lot of practicing again. let's go back to the previous debate. everyone is saying now that president obama must be a little more aggressive. i don't know if that's the right word. there's always the worry that he could go overboard. it was funny that vice president biden, everyone said that that's what he needed to do against paul ryan in the vp debat and then was criticized for doing just that. it's a difficult balancing being, isn't it? >> it is. it will be a tight rope for the president to walk tomorrow. a town hall style debate. can you go on the offensive? i'm quoting. it's going basically toe to toe with krur opponent. you are asking the questions posed to you by toelgs if the addence, so president obama will be have to be careful. he has to go out and sell the policies better. he has to take it directly to mitt romney. it will be interesting to see how he does that. now, tomorrow night during this 90-minute debate, the candidates will be able to walk around on

stage, so we expect the candidates will actually go up to the questioners and answer their questions. maybe try to get into their space a little bit to make a connection with them. it would be very interesting, although highly unlikely, if the candidates actually walked up to one another, michael, and really brought the fight to them directly to their doorstep. >> toe to toe. nose to nose. that will be fun. >> mark, good to see you, my friend, and we'll check in with you later. mark preston there, our political editor, and don't forget, watch the debate. where else would you watch it? here on cnn. the town hall presidential debate tomorrow night, and that's going to be moderated by cnn's cabbedy crowley. look forward to that. why not be here then? our special live coverage quicks off about 7:00 eastern time. we have a lot more ahead on "newsroom international." everybody in america wanted it after the first lady wore it. now jay crew is hoping chinese consumers will try it on for size. >> if it weren't for the music, she says, i would be a drug addict or prostitute or out

robbing because that's the reality here. >> a program in brazil offering kids a chance to escape the slums even if just for a few hours. who is responsible for the costa concordia ship wreck? the captain accused of abandoning his ship. he was in court today. we'll tell you what happened. for more than 116 years, ameriprise financial has worked for their clients' futus. helping millions of americans retire on their terms. when they want. where they want. doing what they want. ameriprise. the strength of a leader in retirement planning. the heart of 10,000 advisors working with you one-to-one. together for your future. ♪

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welcome back. mind-blowing 100,000 plus syrians are now seeking refuge in neighboring turkey. the cult becoming ever more intertwined with the syrian crisis, as that civil war escalates. turkey has set up more than a dozen refugee camps along its border with syria and over the weekend at least 12 syrian soldiers crossed the border for entering turkish border guards. a turkish official says unlike thousands of other soldiers who have defected from syria, the 12 new arrivals did not appear to be desserting from the military. they're actually trying to escape a battle with rebels. the soldiers have been kept separate from other refugees, of course, i want to bring in my colleague to talk more about the situation in syria. you know, 19 months now of unrelenting violence, and the european union announcing some new sanctions on syria.

what are they, and how likely are they to work any better than the sanctions that are already there? >> two good yes questions, michael. s what are they there, expanding existing sanctions against the syrian regime? 28 people have had their assets frozen. many of those 28 people close to the regime that the e.u. says are involved in the crackdown have had their assets frozen in the european union. they are also banning -- this is interesting because it's led to an interesting conversation on my twitter feed. all syrian airline's flights to e.u. airports. the syrian airline syrian arab airlines is operated by the government in syria, of course, and the big question, michael, as always, as you know, with all these sanctions, is if you ban syrian airlines flights to e.u. airports, who are you hurting? are you just slapping the regime on the wrist and doing something in the end that is completely symbolic, or are you huing ordinary syrians who might want to be able to leave the country and fly to european union

airports and, you know, that is a question that's out there? what do these sanctions achieve in the end? are they hurting ordinary syrians, especially when it comes to the -- >> you know, the man with probably the toughest job around at the moment, the u.n. arab league envoy in the region? any glimmers? >> i think you could call them glimmers. i don't think you could call them anything more than that at this point. a source at the u.n. who is familiar with the conversations that have happened have told me, you know, there is no final plan here. it's not like brahimi has a bullet point, power point presentation with how to solve this crisis. he is the kind of person that something's are not and talks to everyone that might be able to contribute to a solution, takes his time. it's not somebody who rushes into anything. he has met with the president of iran, the foreign minister of iran as well. he is proposing a truce, michael, between the government and rebel forces to coincide

with one of the holiest holidays in the muslim calendar on october 25th. now, whether or not that's likely to happen, it seems like a long shot, but this is what he is discussing in iran. he is also visited iraq. he is really in the midst of these consultations with those countries that could have some sort of influence, especially iran, over the regime. >> yeah. i wanted to bring us up-to-date. i have covered these things in other conflicts too, these cluster bombs, explode oprah winfrey the ground, throw out bomblets, and are very nasty munition because what doesn't exmroet can get picked up months down the track. tell us about these reports. >> and you're right about that. of course, having seen those on the battlefield as well. these are munition that are small little bombs that emerge from a larger bomb. they're illegal in many parts of the world certainly, and the human rights group human rights watch is saying that the regime has been using them. there have been -- look, you can see a kid there manipulating one of the bomblets.

you know, it's actually quite frightening. i hope that at least some of the information that you should not touch these gets to people on the ground. how many rights watch is saying that the first reported use of cluster bombs emerged in july, but that now it appears as though it's a much more widespread use by the regime of these very lethal, very deadly weapons that in the end hurt civilians very much because of the fact that these bomblets don't explode right away in many cases. you have them there manipulated by sls. there they are in other amateur video, michael. >> yeah. i know. just watching though kids play with it, as you know, i mean, so many kids, afghanistan elsewhere, have had these problems. great to see you. thanks for the insights, as always. it's not something you normally hear from the slums of brazil. people are getting a helping

violin. we'll explain. stay with us.

welcome back. troops and tanks move into the

slums of rio de jineiro. a couple of small shanty towns that are some of the most dangerous places in the city. one of the slums actually is known as crack central for all the drug dealing that goes on there and gang tooit. police say that five suspected dealers were actually killed during a raid on another slum. the city, of course, trying to clean up these impoverished neighborhoods before the world cup in 2014, and the olympics just two years later. kicking the drug dealers out is only part of the solution. what the people who live there need more than anything else is a way out of the grinding poverty that put them there in the first place. and a new classical music program offering the children of these slumz a rare opportunity to do something better with their lives. shasta darlington with this story. ♪

>> reporter: made in china and worth about $150. an absolute fortune for young kalichi. ♪ >> reporter: a 15-year-old aspiring musician who couldn't afford breakfast. the guy who recycles the bottles didn't pick them up yesterday and pay us, so we didn't have money to buy bread. she shares her house with eight relatives in a sprawling shantytown on the outskirts of sao paolo, ironically called paradise city. she rarely sees her father who is in and out of jail, or her mother, a live-in maid who says is working hard so sher children can get out of the slums. here conditions have improved enormously for a lot of people, but others are still living in these wooden shacks right over open sewage, and when it rains theshgs get flooded out of their homes. music is the exit that she has found. she already played guitar and had taught herself keyboard when

she discovered a new project in town, teaching kids classical music. each student is given a violin, and the classes are free. a program dreamed up by an acclaimed classical pianist whose career was cuts short by injury. he went in search of raw talent and found it. now he wants to take classical music to underprivileged children across the country. his goal is to create 1,000 string orchestras. >> these children start to study music, we are fighting against crime. >> reporter: an alternative to drug gangs. he says the music inspires passion and provides a real job opportunity whether it's music teachers, wedding performers, or international musicians. the difficulties sometimes take

him aback. >> when one child took his violin to his house, the father sold the violin. >> we went there a couple of times over the course of three months to see how the classes were impacting the children. yamka broke down in tears when she told us about her experience. if it weren't for the music, she says, i would be a drug addict or a prostitute or out robbing because that's the reality here. she says she spends eight hours a day practicing different instruments. her future is anything but certain. at least she now has a modest dream, to become a music teacher. shasta darlington, cnn, sao paolo. >> what a great story. 50 years ago the cuban leader fidel castro asked for a favor from a farm family. >> translator: he told my father that they need the farm for a

strategic reasons, but what he said was a military problem. >> that military problem was the united states, and this was the beginning of the cuban missile crisis. that's coming up. you see us, at the start of the day. on the company phone list that's a few names longer. you see us bank on busier highways.

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the captain of the wrecked cruiseline the costa concordia comes face-to-face with victims and survivors. it crashed off the rocks of the coast. this was back in january. then capsized, tipped on its side, killing at least 32 people. now, the captain is accused of abandoning ship. could be charged with manslaughter at the end of these hearings. cmn's ben wiederman is in rome. good to see you, ben. tell us what happened in these hearings. >> well, the captain of that ship, 52-year-old francesco

scutino went into court and encountered some of the relatives of the victims and some of the survivors. apparently there were no fireworks. there was a lot of security in the court. now, today was not, of course, a trial of the captain. rather it was a hearing that had been accumulated since the disaster in january. this included a 260 page report, and we'll also review the contents of the so-called black box from the ship, which contains a lot of the information about its movements and the actions of the crew. now, the captain, of course, is not only on the defensive, he is on the offensive against his company or, rather, his former company. he says more people would have died if it weren't for his action on that fateful night. >> i have to ask you, if we look

at pictures there of the costa concordia still on her side near the port, what is going on? how long is it going to take? it's obviously a big operation. >> it's a massive, very expensive operation. that ship itself cost half a billion dollars to build, and it's going to cost many million more dollars to refloat it and take it away to another port where it will be dismantled. now, we are told that given the difficult conditions, certainly this time of year and in the months ahead that it will not be removed from off the island until sometime in the early summer, june at the earliest. michael. >> ben, good to see you. ben there in rome. well, it was 50 years ago today, believe it or not, that the world was on the brink of world war iii. the cuban missile crisis pitting kennedy against cris chef. the soviets set up nuclear missiles in cuba with warheads

pointed at the u.s. tended when the soviets agreed to remove the missiles, and the u.s. promised to never invade cuba. patrick introduces us now to a farmer whose land was once a russian missile base. check it out. >> you don't get much more off the beaten track than carlos lopez's farm in the cuban countryside. a half century ago the farm's remoteness brought a cuban military commandante to lopez's doorstep. >> he told my father they needed farm for strategic reasons for what he said was a military problem. >> reporter: for packing up immediately, the lopez family received a new bigger farm. their old land became one of the secret sites that housed soviet nuclear missiles. omar takes us out to see what's left of the soviet camp by mule. >> translator: there were a lot of them. i can't remember if it was five

or six barracks of soldiers. >> reporter: now, nature has retain the once sprawling missile base. here in the middle of the jungle are some of the last recommend independents of the soviet base. we don't know what this building was, but it looks like it was one of the huge hangar that is they actually stored the missiles in, and here some of the farmers in the area have repurposed these enormous concrete supports and they've actually used them to create a pen to keep their pigs in. >> reporter: from here we continue on foot and find a missile launch pad with the fated plaque marking how close the world came to nuclear war. it was over this area 50 years ago that u.s. spy planes caught the first glimpse of soviet nuclear missiles. the photos they took within just a few days would catapult much of the world into a panic. >> omar said a muse blackout said he had no idea that the missiles line the wounz their

old farm nearly caused the u.s. to invade cuba. >> we were lucky there wasn't war. after atomic bombs and the sickness that would have come, there would not have been a single human left, and there would not have been many of you left either. >> to avoid war, the soviets removed their missiles and troops. so omar's father went to the same cuban commandante with a request. >> translator: commandante said if i gave you a bigger farm, why do you want to go to a smaller one? my dad respond, you gave me a bigger farm, but that's not my farm. my farm is the little one, and that's what i want to go back to. >> reporter: the lopezs returned to raise pigs and chickens on their old land, which is once again a peaceful place. patrick, cnn, cuban. >> amazing, isn't it, 50 years ago. we've just gotten information,

by the way, confirming that that 14-year-old pakistani girl who was shot in the head by the taliban has actually arrived at a british hospital. we told you earlier she had arrived in britain. she's now at the hospital. this is mallalla. you know she was flown from a military hospital in rural pindi to birmingham, england. the queen elizabeth hospital is the one treating her. the executive medical director there says the child is expected to be there for weeks, if not months. people around the world, of course, outraged that she was targeted by the taliban after speaking out in favor of girls going to school. that hospital has actually treated a lot of british servicemen coming back wounded from afghanistan, so they are very familiar with the sorts of injuries she has, so she's in the right place. we're going to take a short break. we'll be right back. the financs military families face, we understand. at usaa, we know military life is different. we've been there. that's why every bit of financial advice we offer is geared specifically

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the attack on the american consulate has raised questions about the security of u.s. embassies and other outposts, especially, of course, in unfriendly or perhaps unstable areas. former u.s. ambassador christopher hill joins us now from denver, and thanks for doing so, ambassador, despite the traffic. i know you're on the faculty, of course, at the university of denver. you spent a lot of years on foreign soil for the state department. there's about an a lot of finger-pointing. i want to get your take on this. the bottom line on security needs for staff at diplomatic missions, especially unsafe territories. what's your feeling on that? >> well, first of all, i want to make clear, i don't think this belongs in the presidential campaign. you're quite right. this is a matter of security for diplomats abroad, and often have you these situation that is are kind of fluid, and then you have to kind of, you know, balance the risks and gains of getting in there early. so i think what needs to be done

is i think some questions need to be answered, specifically about what kind of security did they have there, what were the available options, et cetera. i think by getting in there, engaging the area, this is not free activity. this is very real stuff, and so by engaging early, i think they hope to try to help bring things under control. this is our tough issues, and it's always a question of managing the risk involved. >> yeah. it's always a bit disturb whenning dollar signs come into that -- making that judgment. i covered the uprising in libya, was with a lot of those ribls that we see on the streets there, and it's just such a place where things can go wrong so quickly. >> when it comes to -- shouldn't

be that kind of issue. sfoo yeah. i think the issue on the budget cuts is a more global question. i doubt it was a question of a budget cut with respect to libya. i think it was an issue in libya of kind of assessing the risk. the fact that you have a lot of militia groups on the scene in benghazi that have evidently not been brought into any kind of national police force or national armed forces should be sort of cautionary tale because, you know, you never know who is really running these things, what's the source of finance, what they're really after. so clearly it was a situation that required considerable security and i wish the review board for ambassador pickering, who knows a thing about overseas -- what were the options and did they do

everything theyco could do? >> as you know, a lot about -- this is during the kosovo war. i'm wondering whatsoever -- whatsoever protection you had then, just anecdotally. what was it like for you guys? >> well, frankly, retrospect, we didn't have enough. we had a fence system that a large crowd of people, they were able to take down our fence, just by pushing and pulling on it. frankly, they didn't prove too tough. they had left after a few minutes, and before you knew it, we had a few embassy guards, but the crowd burned the guard posts, so they had to flee, and i ended up in the basement with 42 other employees. what i was very worried about because i could see it through some of our, you know, observation posts was that they burned all our outbuildings and

burned all our cars. a lot of fla flammable material in a modern office so, we were on the phone constantly. we had a quick reaction force that was ready to come in to scope the unvery fast notice. my impression in benghazi was they didn't have a plan b like that. i think a lot of questions do need to be addressed in this investigation. >> yeah. there was a whole other discussion too. very good to talk to you. ambassador, thanks so much. >> thank you. >> well, you've heard of gangnam style, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. this has been 20 years in the making. we're going to take a look at

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in some ways it was the new macarane. you whan i'm talking about. gangnam style. the korean pop star psy with those dance moves. the video has now 400 million views on youtube. it is the most liked video ever. probably the most popular example of a growing trend in music. music you was just one of the things -- the first ever convention centered on korean music being fashion, and food. the man who came up with this event, he is with me now. ted -- tell us about why you

have the -- why the significance perhaps of having it in l.a., i big korean community there, of course. >> well, for us it was really about responding to the fans. the fans really told us this is something we want. like-minded people getting together, really celebrating the idea of lifestyle, culture, and just getting together and having a great time. our thought was we really wanted to create a great fan experience more than anything else. >> well, your timing couldn't be more perfect, could it, with the release of the video that went so viral. how big a role, you know, are youtube and facebook and i guess social media outlets playing in the rising interest in south korean culture? >> well, social is huge, obviously. the fact that anybody can tap into this any time really drives a lot of what we do and, you know, it really allows people to create their own content, so to

speak. everyone can go outs there and find what they're into, and we have been very, very fortunate, obviously that k-pop has become more and more popular. you know, people are just finding it, and finding it on their own, and they're discovering music. they're discovering language, fashion outside of what they typically see. you know, that's all driven by social. >> is it getting -- is it getting traction outside korean communities? is it getting picked up by others? >> yes. tremendously so. you know, it was very, very fun. i spoke at a panel at south by uthwest, and right after the panel we had people coming up to us, young teenage girls from the midwest, who are not asian at all that came up to us with their parents and told us, you know, my kids are crazy. they want to learn how to speak korean, they're staying up at all hours of the night watching live streams on the internet. you know, they really reached out and somehow found the fashion forwardness, the lifestyle really bringing people

together. >> certainly fun stuff. fun stuff. cnn and particularly this show has to be said was one of the first to sort of get psy out there to a u.s. audience in terms of acknowledging the viral nature of the video, and it's not your typical korean pop star, or is he? i mean, you know, to some he is quite the figure. literally. >> right. you know, what he is he is authentic. he is original. he is completely as a middle-age korean guy, like myself, i'm very proud to see somebody like psy step forward and be the face of korean pop and k-pop, but you're right, i mean, he is not what people typically think of when they think of k-pop, but, you know what, the music, again, the music, the message, and the fact that he is fearless as a performer, i think that's universal. >> yeah. yeah. i introduced my kids to the video, and they love it now, so good stuff. glad you got to have the conference, and seems to be catching on. ted kim, thank you so much. >> thank you, michael.

all right. well, it is known for its cashmere cardigans, perhaps those capri pants here in the united states, but now j. crew bringing its brand to china. by bright eyes

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welcome back. the designer jay crew, uniquely american, known for some preppie collegiate style, well, now for the first time its clothes can be found in hong kong. ♪ j. crew, a clothing label you might not know unless you're american or the first lady of the united states. in 2009 michelle obama appeared on the cover of "vogue" dressed in j. crew. her own choice. a coo from the white house to the house of prep after a deck

did in the fashion doldrums. now it's planted its flag in asia, in hong kong, 30 years after its new york founding, but following huge debuts of abercrombie & fitch and the gap are asian consumers ready to dress up in more americana? critics have dressed down the company over the past decade after it strayed from the preppie styles that once made it popular, and after just five years as a publicly listed company, it went back into private hands in 2011. >> a you blue oxford shirt is it a perennial forever and ever. ours is washed a bit more. >> reporter: mickey drexlor has been president and ceo since 2003 and says it's time for asia. >> what's so special now? what's so special in hong kong? >> it's right because we've had really healthy important growth in america. we're looking at the market long-term and clearly az wra is a critical part of long-term growth. >> drexlor says he also feels at home in hong kong, just as he

does in new york city, but here in asia their tastes are arguably different from those in the united states as well as the cuts that are made for j. grew kroou clothes. how are you going to cater those tastes, those styles for asia, or are you? >> i have this kind of narrow viewpoint about the world. if you have good design and good product, it appeals to most people in the world. look at our friends at apple. they don't design for different markets, and they're a great design company. we go in somewhat ignorantly about the tastes in the market. in terms of the specs, one thing, our skirts are a little too long. our pants are a little too long, and we need more double zeros. >> china's consumers here in hong kong and in the mainland love to show off their bling. j. crew is not so much bling. how do you bridge that? >> we are not in the bling business. it's not who we are, and we don't want to be, and i think

there's enough business for style and design. if you want to wear someone's label or logo, it's fantastic. i think it's a great business. it's not us. >> reporter: i have read that michelle obama was one of the best things that happened to j. crew ever. what do you think about michelle obama sporting your line? >> well, the first lady is just another terrific customer. it told the rest of the world the woman of a certain age wears j. crew, and that to me was the -- really the tipping point. i think j. crew was battling a 10-year-old image, so to speak, that it was a college kid's company, and we've certainly grown out of that, but i think what she did is that officially you wear j. crew clothes at any age. >> reporter: looking ahead, you've been with j. crew for the past nine, ten years. how much longer do you see yourself here? >> as long as our shareholders and our customers will have me i'm here. all right.

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and the candidate's speech is in pieces all over the district. the writer's desktop and the coordinator's phone are working on a joke with local color. the secure cloud just received a revised intro from the strategist's tablet. and while i make my way into the venue, the candidate will be rehearsing off of his phone. [ candidate ] and thanks to every young face i see out there. [ woman ] his phone is one of his biggest supporters. [ female announcer ] with cisco at the center... working together has never worked so well.

the reason you're stuck with me today instead of the lovely suzanne malveaux is ms. malveaux is traveling in south africa. back next week, though. she's going to have some pretty amazing views on the country, but she's been tweeting about some of her experiences already. she writes, "i visited sowedo today where a woman who was a student protester in 1976 was shot four times. now gives tufrz to heal. nelson mandela's son-in-law who says their relationship was mixed, loving, and tense." look for suzanne's report right here next week. until then, you're stuck with me. all right. let's go now to ashleigh banfield.

thank you, michael holmes, and now you're stuck with me. i'm ashleigh banfield in for suzanne malveaux this hour, and we are covering on the cnn newsroom. a focus of politics. a focus on theology, technology, the economy right here at home. let's get right to it, shall we? we are just one day away from the second showdown between president obama and mitt romney who are going to face off tomorrow in one of those town hall style debate rooms, and the pressure is really on for the president after what many have said was a lackluster showing in round one. all of this coming in 22 days until election day, so the stakes are high. not just for both campaigns, but for you, my friend. president obama has been prepping for deet bait at a resort in williamsburg, virginia. mitt romney is in his home state in the boston area getting ready for tomorrow night, and we have a debate preview coming up in just a minute. we're also going to hear from our political team this hour. paul steinhauser has the latest

poll numbers. wolf blitzer wag in on the state of the race as of today. joe johns explaining why ohio is so important and why things might be changing there. tomorrow night's debate takes place at hofstra university on new york's long island. it is the second of three debates, and as we mentioned, it's that town hall style format. candidates get to take questions from the audience, and the topics both domestic and foreign policy this time around. what about that audience? they're going to be made up of undecided voters, and they we chosen by a specific group, the gallop organization. so our athena jones has a preview now of just what is at stake for both of these candidates when they get there. [ bell ringing ] >> reporter: round two. president obama and governor mitt romney face off in their second debate tuesday. a town hall moderated by cnn's candy crowley who says the format presents a unique challenge for the candidates. >> the challenges that they've got to connect not just with the

people that are looking into the television and watching them, but to the people that are on the stage with them, some 80 or so undecided voters as chosen by gallop, so they have to keep those folks in mind. it's a much more intimate and up close adventure with voters. >> reporter: president obama is under pressure after his last turn on the debate stage got bad reviews. >> one bad debate is lose aing battle. two bad debates could very well mean he loses the war. >> i think you're going to see a very different president obama this time around. he has to be seen as being aggress i have, but, yet, he can't be seen as being overly aggressive. >> romney has enjoyed a post-debate bounce in national polls, and a boost of confidence on the campaign trail. >> there's more energy and passion. people are getting behind this campaign. >> at a town hall, without a podium and with audience interaction, the candidates' style and body language have take on added weight. at the first town hall

presidential debate in 1992 president george h.w. bush repeatedly checked his watch, a sign some thought that he didn't want to be about there. commentators said bill clinton walking towards the audience to answer a question about the recession highlighted his ability to connect with voters. one thing that can make it hard for a candidate to be aggressive is a question like this. >> can we focus on the issues does not the permsonalities and the mud? >> analysts say this format could be good for the president. >> he will be able to draw from that energy. from the energy of the public and the crowd. >> reporter: as for romney snoo. >> one of his big challenges during this entire campaign has been not being able to connect with the common man and woman and child. he has to be able to come across as connecting. he has to come across as genuine, as caring, as likable. >> the candidate that makes a connection with the person asking the question is also i think making a better connection with the folks back home.

>> the stakes couldn't be higher. athena jones, cnn, washington. >> while mitt romney is prepping for debate number two, paul ryan, his running mate, is out stumping on the campaign trail. here he is live in cincinnati, ohio. in case you have forgotten, ohio has 18 electoral votes. that's what's at stake in this state, and it's an important one. as we've said before, no republican has won the white house without winning there, so a quick stop at the airport in cincinnati, ohio, for paul ryan as he moves ahead from his vice presidential debate last week. what should we now expect from the president and from mitt romney? tomorrow night as they head into debate number two. earlier i talked with our own wolf blitzer about what to look for in this debate and what each candidate needs to do. >> we always know that incumbents don't particularly perform well in the first debate. is there a template for the second debate? do we have some history to show us what they need to do, what

they often do, and how that works out for them? >> well, we know in the first debate when he was an incumbent, ronald reagan, back in 1984, being challenged by walter mondale, did not do well. he did much better in the second debate. he obviously went on to win re-election decisively in 1984. the challenge for president obama this time, he didn't do well the first time. romney did very well. it will be for him to come back in this second debate, which is a town hall format, so it's a little bit more complicated because average people, undecided voters, at hofstra university out on long island, they'll stand up and ask questions, so it's -- the room is a little bit different. the atmosphere is a little bit different. we'll see if the president comes through this time and responds and answers the charges directly forcefully, passionately, which is something he didn't do to romney on the first debate.

>> in the case of all of these town hall meetings that he has done, but having said all that, he both of these guys got to this level because they're good, they're smart, they're strong. they don't -- you don't get to be the president of the united states or the republican presidential nominee unless you' really, really good. >> that's our wolf blitzer for us, and on the day before the second debate, it's a dead heat in this race for the white house. just what they like to say, all knotted up. that's why they say team obama and team romney are sending out their surrogates to try to build some momentum for their candidates. you might call this actually predebate spin. have a look. >> he knew we walked off that stage, and he also knew as he watched the tape of that debate

that he has to be more energetic. >> he can't change his record, and he can't change his policies, and that's what this election is about. >> the cnn's political editor paul s at the iinhauser. i think i saw a note from you probable within the last ten minutes. you have been doing a lot of path ma, and you have been taking in some of the newest polls and rejigging those poll of polls. this is great. you have some nice breaking news for me. what do the numbers say? >> let's check it out. this is the cnn poll of polls. this is national likely voters, and there you go. this is pretty tight, ashleigh. 48% of likely voters supporting mitt romney. 47% supporting the president. that's basically all tied up. what does this poll of polls?

there have been seven surveys. after the first debate ashleigh, you know and i know the race for the white house is not a popular vote nationally. it's a battle for the state electoral votes. this is also brand new. a new cnn poll of polls, and virginia. >> you know, ashleigh, i think it's fair to say the president had a slight advantage, but things have definitely tightened up since that first debate. that's why so much is at stake tomorrow night right here behind me at hofstra university. >> well, i'm glad you mentioned that because i wanted to ask you about the affect of the early voting because if people were early voting prior to debate number one, we know where the polls showed the leanings. people led towards president obama, and now if they did their early voting between debate one and debate two, it was in mitt romney's favor. does that make this debate more

critical, or does it just tell us people have already voted for two different candidates? is. >> most of them -- well, obviously they made up their mind, and most of them are usual usually. >> clearly, you're much better at math than i am. i think i remember you telling me a week or two ago that the early voting percentage of the entire vote, is it somewhere around 30%? >> just under one of this third about four years ago. one-third of voters who cast a ballot did so before election day. we think it's going to be the same ballpark. about one-third of all voters

will have cast a bat local. we're still 22 days away from that, though. >> since your memory is so good when i test you about things that happened four years ago, maybe you could help me out with the scheduling of the debates. i don't remember the schedule that tight that time around, or does that make a difference? >> they're usually every week. every week we've had a debate now. you know, the first we h the presidential. last week we had the vice presidential. now two more weeks with presidentials. remember, that final debate, though, is going to be exclusively on foreign policy, which makes it a little different than this debate, and the format will be different, too. a moderator, and no town hall at the final debate, and then after that debate, ashleigh, two weeks left until election day, and then i get to go home.

>> here's what we're working on for you this hour. >> the senate for 30 years, practicing comedy. >> he is definitely going to be remembered as a huge presence in washington. arlen specter could also get a crowd rolling at the comedy club. we're going to explain that one for you and look at a legend. also, if you want to win the white house, the conventional wisdom is you just got to win ohio. right now that's where mitt romney is getting a bit of a surge. we'll talk about that and also later on a leap of faith realized. you just don't get tired of seeing that, folks. it almost looks like nintendo, but it's not. it's real. we're going to go faster than the speed of sound with felix

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. it is one of the most sensitive issues any candidate has to take a position on, and they do have to take a position on it. it's abortion. last week it was vice president joe biden and his republican challenger paul ryan who answered a debate question on the issue. both men are catholics. this is the first time the voters are choosing between tickets that include -- that each include a catholic practicing, many of the. both were asked to talk about how their religion afters their personal views on abortion, and paul ryan explained why he is pro-life. >> i don't see how a person can separate their public life from their private life or from their faith. our faith infos us in everything we do. my faith informs me about how to take care of the vulnerable, about how to make sure that people have a chance in life. now, you want to ask basically why i'm pro-life? it's not simply because of my catholic faith. that's a factor, of course.

it's also because of reason and science. those are the reasons why i'm pro-life. >> well, the vice president took a broader view saying that he accepts the church's teachings on the issue, but that he believes others can have their own viewpoints. >> my religion defines who i am, and i've been a practicing catholic my whole life. catholic social doctrine talks about taking care of those who can't take care of themselves. people who need help. with regard to abortion, i accept my church's position on abortion as -- i accept it in my permanent life, but i refuse to

pose it on equally devout christians and muslims and jews, and just refused to impose that on others, unlike my friend here, the congressman. >> well, obviously, this is a very sensitive issue for millions of americans, and the candidates have to be very careful in how they talk about abortion, but the whole discussion started us thinking, how could politicians reconcile the teachings of their faith while at the same time making the laws of the land. i want to bring in the reverend thomas reese of georgetown university. he is a jesuit priest and a senior fellow at the wood stock theological center. we know there's an ad that move on.org just put out. it really seems to be making an appeal to women. you probably will see some familiar faces. father, if you just give me a moment, i want to show a piece of that and then talk to you about it. >> i want to talk to you about women. >> and about mitt romney. >> mitt romney is for ending funding to planned parenthood. >> including council screenings. >> he said he would overturn roe v. wade.

>> we have republicans trying to redefine rape. >> trying to force women to undergo invasive ultra sounds. >> if you think that this election won't affect you and your life, think again. >> vote. >> vote. >> vote for -- >> wow. that campaign clearly looking to appeal to women, it would seem, especially young women with the ad. father, i just want to ask you accident we've got two catholics. we've got a protestant and a mormon at the top of these tickets. i think the fundamental question for a lot of people is just how much of their personal faith should they be bringing into an office where in america we say we have a separation ofhurch and state? >> well, historilly religion has always played a very prominent role in american politics. religious believers led the abolition movement against slavery. religious leaders also, as martin luther king, led the civil rights movement. there were religious leaders involved in the anti-vietnam war

movement, so faith has motivated people to be involved in politics. at the same time theologians since augustan and thomas aquinas have argued that all of the moral law should not be enacted as part of civil law. for example, both augustan and thomas aquinas were in favor of legalized prostitution because they thought it would protect good women from bad men. each pole tig has to look at the moral law, look at what's good for society, and actually also have to look at what's possible. what can be implemented as part of law. i think what we hear from congressman ryan is he believes abortion can be made illegal in this country. i think vice president biden is saying, no, there are just too many people who this is not a party of conscience for. >> you know, there are a lot of

liberals who are very frustrated with the topic of abortion almost -- meaning when -- let's just take last week's debate, the only religious question that was asked was about abortion, and they tend to feel as though that is just a very myopic way of looking at how people view the world in our necessity of bringing religion into our views of the world. is there any legitimacy to that, the fact that liberals sometimes feel as though they're demonized because they may have one view of abortion, but they have certainly loads of other views that may be right in line with others who are their opponents? >> well, there's for question that, for example, the catholic bishops have been very critical of congressman ryan's budget. they said it did not meet the moral criteria that they set forth for a moral budget, and it's also quite clear in reading the cyclicals of pope benedict that he is to the left of not

only congressman ryan, but vice president biden and president obama when it comes to economic issues. he sees no objection to using government to redistribute wealth. in fact, he says that's one of the purposes of government. so we see that the tholic church is on abortion to the right of people, but when it comes to economic issues, it's very much to the left. >> we always ask in our poll questions what's the most important issue for voters, and i have a poll -- sadly, i only have it from september 9th through 11th, so i don't have anything more recent than that, but i think it gives us a good snap shot, father, and that hes what people feel the influence of religion should be on government policies. i don't know if this will prize you or not, but it went from no influence at all -- people who said it should absolutely not come into the office. 47 percent of americans feeling that way.

to only 2% of our respondents saying it should be the only issue that a candidate takes into office with him or her, religion. do those numbers surprise you? >> yeah. i think that the difficulty is when you ask a question like that, people hear different things. sometimes people hear, well, the churches are going to dictate policy, that bishops are going to tell us who we should vote for and who we shouldn't. i think post people are against that kind of thing. on the other hand, when we hear that, you know, the gospel message of the good samaritan when we hear jesus say that we should love one another and care for the poor, people say, well, you know, that's a religious motivation that should inspire how we act in the world, to reach out to the people who are in need, who are sick, who are poor and to work in the world for peace, and to protect all

stages of life. so so these kinds of things, i think, are -- are areas where people say, yeah, that makes sense, but when it gets that churches are dictating policy, then people get very nervous about that. >> father, it's good to have you. thank you so much. i appreciate it. >> thank you. >> and god bless. 24 miles above the earth and falling fast. we're going to show you some of the video that the whole world is talking about. truly breathtaking. a crash manm and the world's only tridion safety cell which can withstand over three and a half tons. small in size. big on safety. to meet the needs of my growing business. but how am i going to fund it? and i have to find a way to manage my cash flow better. [ female announcer ] our wells fargo bankers are here to listen, offer guidance and provide you with options tailored to youbusiness.

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millions of people around the world watched in awe as austrian daredevil felix baumgartner plunged from the edge of space into the record books yesterday, and he did it without even getting a scratch, which is pretty awesome. as brian todd shows us, the free fall did a lot more than just scare a lot of us who were watching him. it actually may have changed the

world. >> reporter: with a heart-pounding hop into the strategyosphere he makes history. he jumped from 128,000 feet above the earth, 24 miles up, higher than anyone before him. during freefall, he spun for a few harrowing moments, but stabilized quickly. >> started spinning so violent, it spun me around in all different directions, and i was always trying to finished out how to stop this. i put one arm out. it didn't work. you put another arm out. at that speed when you travel at that speed with that suit when it's pressurized, you don't feel the air at all. >> in those first seconds he broke another record. no one had ever gone through the sound barrier outside a vehicle. baumgartner reached a top spod of more than 700 miles an hour well past the speed of sound. free fall lasted four minutes 19 seconds before his parachute opened. that's short of the record for the longest free fall in history, but after he safely touched down, the man known as fearless felix was haled as an

aerospace pioneer. it's hard to realize what happened right now because there are so many emotions. i had tears in my eyes when i was coming back a couple of times, because you are sitting there, and thought about that moment so many times. you know, how it would feel and how it would look like, and this is way bigger than i anticipated. >> reporter: this mission had been five years in the planning. in baumgartner's ear during the desent, colonel joe kitering, the man whose record he broke. kitinger had broke from 102,000 feet in 1960. i interviewed baumgartner and kitinger. >> are you jealous of felix that is he going to break your record? >> i'm delight he is going to do it. he is advancing science. he will do a great job. snoo mission leaders and space officials hope this jump will show them if astronauts, space tourists or high altitude pilots can survive for any period of time outside a vehicle if there's a malfunction. if it held up as expected, baumgartner's high pressure suit

could be the next generation suit for future mission sfwlooshz what will he do next? he told me that after this jump he wants to pursue an occupation as a helicopter rescue pilot. it might be a bet of a letdown. brian todd, cnn, washington. he will be very good at it, though. that's for shoor. thank you, brian todd. zirchgs location, location, location. for once i'm not actually talking about real estate when i say that. talking about politics. right now the location is ohio. it is the place to be if are you running for the white house. find out why and if this year it might not matter? questions? anyone have occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating? yeah. one phillips' colon health probiotic cap each day helps defend against these digestive issues with three strains of good bacteria. approved! [ female announcer ] live the regular life.

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hooi high is one of the battalions grounz states that will likely decide who wins the presidential race. it has 18 of the 2707 electoral votes that are needed to win this election. that's second only to florida among the swing states. i want to bring in our joe

johns. we know that no republican has ever won the white house without winning ohio. i'm feeling like a broken record by saying that. however, that said, joe johns, ohio senator rob portman said that mitt romney might just be the first. have a listen. >> you could probably win the presidency without ohio, but i wouldn't want to take the risk. no republican has. we're doing great in ohio. if you look at the average of all the polls, it's about dead even in ohio right now, and importantly, the momentum is on our side. it's been terrific. i've been to a half dozen rallies in ohio in the last week alone. i have never seen this kind of energy and enthusiasm on the ground. >> joe johns, i didn't expect that i would hear that coming out of rob portman's mouth, but i think he was characterizing it as though there could be other pathways to the presidency without this state even though in the past for a republican there hasn't been. how many other pathways are there for mitt romney if he doesn't prevail in ohio? >> well, senator portman is a really smart guy, but i got to tell you, it's tough. i mean, this race is really

tightening up. the latest cn poll of polls see az three-point lead for the president. even a week ago he was up 8%, 9%, even 10% up. the most recent polls are hovering around the margin of error, which is a good trend for romney. how important is ohio for romney? the path at 270 electoral votes is just tough for him if he loses the buckeye state. cnn has something like neen toss-up states with ohio in the obama column. romney would have to win six, maybe seven of the remaining toss-up states to win the white house. so when senator portman says, you know, he wouldn't want to take the risk, that's why. very, very tough road to hoe for the republican challenger. >> in the effort to make sure that doesn't happen, the obama campaign is bringing out some of the big guns, particularly in the rock star bruce springsteen. >> yeah. bruce springsteen always very popular certainly in the northeast and probably his

working class appeal is going to go over pretty well there in the buckeye state. i know i grew up in ohio and that's where i first heard my bruce springsteen music. we know president obama is going to keep campaigning and spending lots of money there through election day. mitt romney is going to do that also, and talking to pollsters, they do suggest that the auto bailout issue has actually helped the president in parts of the state. the obama campaign has been attacking romney on outsourcing jobs. that seems to have been effective in parts of the state, but the romney campaign is fighting back on that, and saying he will be the guy who stands up to china. a lot of things about jobs there. the big question, of course, is who gets credit for ohio's improving economy at 7.2% down nearly 10% from two years ago, so what you have to wonder is will the republican governor john kasik and his policies get

credit, which would be advantage romney, or will president obama get credit, and that's something we're just going to have to wait and see. >> i think i had forgotten you said you were from ohio. you know the state very well. >> yeah. grew up in columbus. >> did you really? we could have a small conversation with the viewers and get to know each other here live on the air. i would like to ask you another rock star hitting the trail for obama, and that's president clinton, and is he going to do so in yet again ohio. what is it, my dear friend, about your state that makes it such a bellweather. i get it, the history is there, but whatut it in this anointed position? >> large population, which means it has a lot of electoral votes, as you already pointed out, but the truth is that from election to election, ohio's vote for the winning presidential candidate almost always comes within just a few percentage points of the national vote, and so why is that? probably because of the mix of voters. you have a wide spectrum, well represented whites, minorities, rich, poor.

a lot of colleges and universities, so you account for the student crowd, which makes it not just a political bellweather, but a commercial bellweather too. proven test market for products that -- and that appears to have translated to politics as well. especially around central ohio. test market to the united states. >> test market for us all. joe johns, thank you, sir. nice to see you. appreciate it. all right. so he made his mark on the senate floor, and in a stand-up arena too. we're going to take a look back at the arlen specter and his last act. you've been busy for a dead man. after you jumped ship in bangkok, i thought i'd lost you. surfing is my life now. but who's going to .... tell the world that priceline has even faster, easier ways to save you money. . . on hotels, flights & cars? you still have it. i'll always have it. so this is it? we'll see where the waves take me. sayonara, brah!

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the funeral set for tomorrow for the man considerated the wild card of congress. pennsylvania's longest serving senator arlen specter. he died while at his home in philadelphia yesterday after a long battle with cancer. he was 82 years old. he was known for his fiercely independent views. actually switching in between parties to the democratic party

in 2009. this after being a moderate republican most of his 30 years in the senate. there was also quite a light side to arlen specter. after losing his re-election bid back in 2010, he started to perform for perhaps a brand new career in comedy. earlier this year specter apdz before a crowd at caroline's, the top comedy clubs in the world here in new york. cnn's senior producer michael silver sat down to talk to him about it. >> we are so excited to have this next man here. he was a senator for 30 years. round of applause for senator arlen specter, everyone. >> reporter: this is not the arlen specter america came to know. >> i have been in the senate for 30 years practicing comedy. [ laughing snchl [. >> it was the man arlen specter was becoming. >> let's go in your office. >> okay. >> this is a comedy session. we're just going to develop some material here. >> reporter: after losing his treasured seat in the senate, arlen specter at the age of 80 was aiming to become a stand-up comic.

earlier this year specker and i spent time together as he prepared for his next perform wrans. ance. >> arlen specter is funny? what do you say to those people? >> i say there is something funny in almost everything. >> we're going to go over some of the material that you're planning to use on monday night at caroline's, correct? >> these are possibilities. these are candidates. when i was recuperating from hodgkins, the doctors told me to spend some time in a hot tub, so i was in this hot tub luxuriating, and here comes ted kennedy, 283 pounds in his finest, his birthday suit. like a walrus, he plops into the hot tub, and you know the old

story about rising tide lifts all boots? my head hit the ceiling. newt gingrich, i have known newt a long time. in fact, i've known newt so long, i knew him when he was skinny. i have known newt so long, i have -- i knew his first wife. strom thurman said nancy and i have sex almost every night. we almost have sex on monday. we almost have sex on tuesday. i don't know if this is fit for cnn. how much it cost to buy a seat in the united states senate? $30 million. so when you pay $30 million for a seat, you like to sit in it. >> reporter: in the end between his long senate career and his short but determined effort at stand-up comedy and his multiple battles with life-threatening illness, arlen specter demonstrated a few things about power. the power of sitting down, the

power of standing up, and the power of never giving in. michael shoulder, cnn. they are boning up on the facts, but do they have the flare to win tomorrow night as well? we'll hear what hollywood acting coaches think that president obama and mitt romney need to do to make that kind of an impression at their next debate. but i still have a runny nose. [ male announcer ] dayquil doesn't treat that. huh? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus rushes relief to all your worst cold symptoms, plus it relieves your runny nose. [ sighs ] thank you! [ male announcer ] you're welcome. that's the cold truth!

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it's not olz what you say is a, but often it can really be how you say it. you've all heard that. have the candidates heard that? do they know the rules for tomorrow night's big debate. michelle turner has a couple of tips from hollywood. >> reporter: with an expected audience of more than 60 million people, the second presidential debate will be a show of blockbuster proportions, so perhaps the candidates could use a few hollywood stage secrets. >> if you were advising either one of the candidates, is there

something they can do to try to focus themselves to get ready and get their game face on? >> focus would come from knowing who you're with, knowing what is at stake, and vague clear sense of what you can commit yourself to to gain ground. >> reporter: veteran hollywood acting coach says the more personal a message is to an actor, the more effectively they communicate. his top stage credit for the candidates? keep it personal by remembering the people they've met along the campaign trail. >> if it becomes personal for them, like they're on a personal mission, they can champion these people that they've met, then it's easier to stay phobinged and easier to stay driven. stoo one of the things that we hear so much from actors, especially theater actors, is you play to your audience. how do they do that? how do they make themselves believable and then endear themselves to people in the room? >> going into this town hall meeting think don't have to try to be believable. they need something to believe in. they can be thinking all along

of the person they met back in iowa that needs a better health plan or the person that needs a better tax plan, and they can be speaking on behalf of them. >> tap into real emotion? >> absolutely. it's not that difficult to do. again, they meet all these wonderful people that have real problems, and in the same way we empathize when we read fictional novel oorz see movies, they can empathize with the people they meet, and if they spend a little time every day dreaming about their problems, their heart falls in love with the opportunity to champion that. >> what does body language say? >> i think body language is a direct result of the relationship you have to the place you're in, and the circumstances you are living under, and your body response directly. for example, if you believe -- if they go to the town hall meeting and they walk into an environment they feel is hostile, their body language will respond accordingly, and if, on the other hand, they walk into a town hall meeting and they remember that these are the people that want them to stand up and speak for them, they'll

feel like they're one of them, and they'll relax. >> what have the candidates learned from the only actor turned american president? >> he was widely known as a great communicator, a good debater, and was he able to draw off of his acting skills to be able to be that good? >> i his years of acting training got him used to the idea that if i've got a strong position, what you can throw anything you want at me, say anything you want at me, i'm going to find a way to twist it to where i want to take it. >> reporter: with that, i take you're saying the president and governor romney should take some acti classes. >> it couldn't hurt. >> reporter: nischelle turner, cnn, hollywood. stumping for a senate candidate, one man gets on stage and suggests that the president should go back to africa. after the break, find out who and how that campaign is trying to clean up this mess. every picture tells a story.

of course, some stories are bigger than others.

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yesterday in kenosha, wisconsin, the republican party had their annual fall brunch and one of the keynote speakers was jason thompson, the son of the u.s. candidate from that area, tommy thompson. may remember him because he was the health and human services secretary under president bush. but jason thompson, 38 years old, campaigning on behalf of his father, said something about president obama that caught a lot of people's attention, including his own father's, who was not there. he effectively suggested the president go back to africa. have a look. >> ladies and gentlemen, america's at a crossroads. the election here in november will chart our course of the country not only for our generation, but our kids' generation. we have the opportunity to send president obama back to chicago.

>> so just to reiterate what he said, the governor's son suggested they have an opportunity to send -- to send president obama back to chicago or kenya. the former governor of wisconsin now running for the senate seat. this is the response from tommy thompson's campaign, communications director. the governor has addressed this with his son, just like any father would do. jason thompson said something he should not have, and he apologizes. and, again, that was jason thompson, the son of tommy thompson, the former health and human services secretary, the former wisconsin govern and current candidate for the senate seat. i want to reiterate that the former governor was not at that brunch at that fall republican brunch in kenosha, wisconsin, and has put out that apology. we'll be right back. five days l, i had a massive heart attack.

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it is an absentee ballot. michelle obama sending in her absentee ballot according to this official campaign twitter account. what she said was, i couldn't wait for election day. i can only assume we know who she is voting for. there you go. early voting at least where michelle obama lives. forget sesame street, the national mall in washington is about to be overrun by puppets. i am not kidding. this is going to be called the million puppet march and it is a puppet-based protest being organized to defend pbs. the organizers began putting it together after mitt romney said in the last presidential debate that he loves big bird, but that he would cut pbs and jim lehrer, no word if jim lehrer will be at this protest, but all of this is supposed to get under way on november 3rd. and that, if you're doing the math, is just eight days before election day. the million puppet march. i do not know if there are even a million muppets or puppets out